July 2014 Newsletter logo without www
CHATHAM MARCONI-RCA
NEWS AND EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 2014

CMMC FALL HOURS

September 3 - October 12

Afternoons:  

Wednesday - Sunday 1:00 - 4:00

 

****

 

SPEAKER SERIES

Sept. 18: Marconi and South Wellfleet

 

Sept. 25: French Cable Station

 

****

 

SPECIAL 100th

Marconi Post Office

Saturday, October

10 - 11 - 14

2014 Centennial

 Continuing Celebration

****

 

VOLUNTEER

Contact Melissa Clayton

[email protected]

 

****

 

SUPPORT CMMC'S  

ANNUAL FUND

RENEW CMMC MEMBERSHIP

 

SIGN UP on-line:

Membership 

 

SIGN UP by Mail:

Fill out membership form on line or print and fill in. Send a check or credit card to: Chatham Marconi Maritime Center Box 421, North Chatham,MA 02650

 

****

 

ARRANGE A GROUP VISIT 

TO CMMC

Call 508.945.8889  or e-mail

[email protected] 

   

 

 

CMMC REMEMBERS GOOD FRIEND

WILLIAM C. (BILL) RYDER

 

 

Bill Ryder served many years as Technician in Charge at the RCA transmitting location at Forest Beach. During that career he developed and implemented many technical innovations and changes that helped maintain WCC as a clear and powerful station communicating with ships around the world.

 

Bill was a founding member of the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center and had been active until his passing on August 24th of this year. Much of the history here is known only because Bill had the foresight to preserve and organize the information. We miss him already.

 

Bill's memorial service drew a full house at the Chatham United Methodist Church on Saturday, Sept. 13.

 

 

Dick Kraycir, 

CMMC Executive Director

Captain Bob Ryder Remembers his Uncle Bill Ryder

 

I was extremely fortunate to have visited Uncle Bill (William Crowell Ryder) just before his passing. For many weeks before that final visit, I had found him to be struggling, but he had rallied of late and seemed to be at peace.

 

Early in my life he had introduced me to amateur radio, and every time I visited his home, on Chatham's Bar Cliff Avenue, he'd find ways to include me in projects, be it construction of equipment, pumping out his cellar, or just communicating on his beloved radios.

 

Occasionally when he and his friend Francis Doane traveled to other Cape Cod radio amateur's homes, they'd ask me if I wanted to go along. When my parents allowed such voyages, I would happily tag along, and therein the spark was planted that led me to become a radio operator for the United States Coast Guard.

 

After service to our country, I opted to become a commercial fisherman. Uncle was always involved with advising me how to get the most out of the electronics that accompanied the many boats that I owned during that career. Uncle had a very generous and caring personality mixed with a great sense of humor, and I know now, that I was doubly blessed to have him on my side, no matter where I was.

 

One anecdote - I was offshore of Cape Cod in a boat, that I had bought from my Dad, and was in the process of sinking it by overloading it with fish. When it became obvious that there was no hope of saving the vessel, I called MAYDAY on the calling and distress frequency, 2182 Kc, and was instantly answered by a ship that was located offshore of North Carolina! My thoughts went to Uncle Bill, as he was the man that had installed the radio, antenna and ground systems on the boat many years before, and now the life of my crew and myself were about to be saved by his fine work.

 

We will all miss him, and for a wide variety of reasons, but for me it will be his unending friendship and mentoring that will keep my memories of him strong.

 

Captain Bob Ryder

 

THURSDAY EVENINGS AT

7:00 PM AT HISTORIC  

HOTEL NAUTILUS 

 

 

Thursday September 18: Ed Moxon 

 

Marconi and his South Wellfleet Wireless. Marconi's South Wellfleet Station was built in 1901 to transmit wireless signals across the Atlantic. National Park Service Ranger Barbara Dougan looks back at the station's remarkable history from the first transatlantic transmission from the USA to Europe made on January 18, 1903, to the station's ultimate demise because it was built on an eroding coastal cliff. The station site is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of Cape Cod National Seashore.

 

 Wikipedia information on the South Wellfleet Wireless 

 

Thursday September 25: Dick Kraycir and Joe Manus 

 

The French Cable Station Meets Marconi. French Cable Station Museum Director Joe Manas and Marconi-RCA Museum Executive Director Dick Kraycir explore the competing turn - of - the - century communications technologies and their impact on Cape Cod.

For more information, go to:  French Cable Museum   

 

A BANNER DAY AT THE MUSEUM:   
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5, 2014

Not only was Friday, September 5, a good day for attendance, with 65 visitors, we had two artifact donations to the museum.

 

Beth Dunbar, whose husband Mike worked at the station in the 1970s and who lived at 563 Old Comers Road during that period, donated a Stickley chair that was part of the original bungalow furniture set. 

Beth Dunbar with Stickley Chair

Except for Mrs. Dunbar's recovering the seat after it deteriorated from age, the chair appears to be in its original condition.  

 

CMMC also had a visit from Jack Dowd, whose father worked at 'Station "C" ' for two years during WWII, during which time the family lived on Old Harbor Road.  Mr. Dowd was accompanied by his wife and children. The family now lives in Lawrence. MA.  

Jack Dunbar and Family

He brought three of his father's uniform jumpers, worn at the station - two work and one dress jumper.  Mr. Dowd also provided several photos which were scanned.  

 

HOLD THE DATE !

100th MARCONI STATION ANNIVERSARY
POST OFFICE CANCELLATION
Saturday, October 11, 2014
10:00 - 4:00